1st Point you made is that it would be tasteless for Bret to induct HBK? I'm not sure how its tasteless. I agree there are better choices (Nash, Triple H, Flair, Lothario, Jericho even) but if HBK wants Bret to induct him as a way of showing that all of this bull crap from 1997 is behind them both why is that tastless. If HBK asks and Bret accepts and they can stand on a stage together and shake hands I think thats a class act on both men's part.
Forgiveness doesn't necessitate friendship, and I'd imagine one would want a friend to induct them into the Hall than someone whom they are forever linked by wrestling's most controversial moment. The question asked to Bret was just pure speculation and Hart's response was still a slight jab to Micheals, basically calling him a coward and his problems with HBK are deeper than Montreal anyways. Bret was overly pissed about Shawn sitting out his repay to Bret@ WM13, the "Sunny Days" comments and HBK's just being a dick backstage. It's way deeper, to where if he were to forgive him, it would just be forgivness, definitely not grounds for wanting the man to induct you into the HOF. The only way that Hart inducts HBK is if the E forces it and that would be tasteless. It's tasteless to market something under false pretenses. But the E forcing that is pure speculation just as the question asked to Hart is pure speculation.
3rd point the apology. Bret isnt asking for an apology about Shawn being involved, just as he never asked or got one from Vince. Vince apologized face to face man to man to Bret for lying to him. Vince told Bret, he isn't sorry for what he did because he still feels it was the right outcome but he is sorry for how it happened and that he lied to Bret. This is really all Bret would be looking for from Shawn. If you watch Wrestling with Shadows, Bret was in the locker room after the match and Shawn was there in the room too, and Bret asks Shawn, "did you know Vince was going to do this?" and Shawn says "no, I had no idea" meanwhile Bret's then wife Julie is in the hallway giving the gears to Hunter who also his proclaiming his innocence. Did you know that even Triple H has now apologized face to face to Bret for lying. Triple H has gone on record saying it was his idea to screw Bret and he stands behind that decision. But he apologized to Bret for lying to him about being in on it. Again you never hear Bret rip on Vince or Triple H. Why because they admitted that they lied to him. Shawn has as well but only publicly. So from Bret's view its just for show to make Shawn look like the good guy. Bret is looking for Shawn to apologize for lying to him face to face that is all.
I understand this. I was never trying to make Shawn look innocent, I was just making the point that he was doing his job and as part of that job he was told to flat out deny everything. Vince openly claims responsibility for everything and that Shawn was just an employee doing exactly what his boss asked him to. This is a 60-40 argument in favor of what's good for business, Hogan, Rock, Austin all did jobs on their ways out, what makes Hart the exception? HBK has at least made public apologies and how exactly is it easy for HBK to contact Bret anyway? Both are busy men. Either way, at least HBK has made attempts, and if Bret has truly forgiven HBK, then he could settle for what Michaels has offered instead of taking shorthanded shots at the guy. Sounds like he has some ill-will :
“Maybe if he wants to make himself feel better about it he should have the guts to pick up the phone and apologize,†Hart said. “Then we’ll see after that.â€
That sounds somewhat hostile.
So I think Bret is owed a personal apology on this issue from Shawn...however I am not saying I don't believe that Bret doesn't owe apologies to Vince or Shawn for not doing buisness properly and just agreeing to drop the belt on the way out. (though from what I've heard he has apologized to Vince for spitting on him and punching him)
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See,that's what Hart really needs to apologize for before he can apologize for his behavior, because that's all he's excused thus far. He needs to apologize for not being a professional and refusing to job and expecting to get a hero's sendoff on his way to the competition who had their foot clamped down on their throat at the time. That is serious delusions of grandeur that just don't happen in the wrestling biz. Hogan and all the money he drew couldn't keep him from a bonzai drop on his way out, Austin took his ball but still was professional enough to come back and lay down for Rocky and that man has laid down everytime he was ever asked to.
Vince has apologized for everything. Apologized that he had to force Bret out, for what happened, for everything. `Shawn has apologized for everything, albeit publicly and not face to face, but at least it's a full apology. Bret has apologized for how he acted, but he never apologized for his un-professionalism that created the need for the screwjob. When he refused to honor the tradition he basically insulted the industry and everyone who came before him before he disrespected his boss, the man who made him so recognizable he was able to fetch 3 mil per year from the competition, the man that made Bret Hart the "Hitman". I believe Bret just needs to sit down and say "hey, I'm sorry I didn't do business" and admit that he is just as guilty as Vince, then maybe he would have grounds to be bitchy about getting a face to face apology. Shawn is no saint in any of this, but Bret is far from the victim and that is the point I'm trying to make.
